What’s the Difference Between A Regular Cleaning and a Deep Cleaning?
By Richard Hamaty | Published on August 24, 2010 | 0 Comments
The difference between a regular cleaning and a deep cleaning has to do with the roots of the teeth, explains Dr. Richard Hamaty, a dentist in Yorba Linda, California. During a deep cleaning, which is also referred to as root cleaning and scaling, a dentist or hygienist will clean out the area between the gums and the root of the teeth much more thoroughly than in a regular cleaning.
The regular dental cleanings that most people get once every six months are used to treat very simple cases of gingivitis and plaque, which will occur between the gum and the surface of the tooth, according to Dr. Hamaty. Whereas a standard dental cleaning is used to get rid of any difficult debris on the front, back, and in between teeth, a deep cleaning is more focused on all the areas underneath the gum level.
Dr. Hamaty says that deep dental cleanings are the most effective way to treat gum disease before it becomes severe. He also explains that patients do not need to worry about specifically asking for deep cleanings when they visit their dentist, since the dental hygienist or the dentist himself will be able to determine whether or not that is something they need during their initial exams.
Inside each patient’s mouth, there is a space between his gums and his teeth. That space should be measured yearly, and those measurements will reflect the health of the patient’s gums or his periodontal status. It is when those measurements begin exceeding the normal limits—which are usually about 3 millimeters—that a dentist will tell a patient that he may have gum disease and therefore need a deep cleaning.
Of course, simply being out of the normal measurements is not a sure fire guarantee that someone has gum disease. A gum disease diagnosis depends on the size of the pockets inside the mouth, which are located around all of the teeth. If these pockets are too big, then that is the point at which a dentist may recommend a deep scaling to clean out the contents.
Because a deep cleaning or scaling is a more time-consuming and strenuous process than a regular cleaning, Dr. Hamaty says it is rare for a patient who has been coming in regularly for dental exam check-ups every six months to need one. Instead, he says that deep cleanings are more common among people who have not gone to the dentist for a considerable amount of time. During that time, the plaque on a person’s teeth can become mineralized and create small deposits, which must be ablated by the dentist during the root cleaning and scaling procedure.
Certain individuals who have systemic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, or immune system deficiencies, could be more likely to have gum disease than healthy individuals. Because of that, a dentist will need to be more mindful of these patients when looking for signs of oral decay during general examinations. Dr. Hamaty recommends that dentists discuss gum disease and its symptoms with these patients a little more strictly than they would with patients in the general population.
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